Tied up Ribbons and Forget-Me-Knots
by Crazy Jack
Summary: There's a thousand ways to get lost on these many trails, but with your hand in mine, we'll find our way home. Ichigo and Rukia and ten drabbles to explore the few tender moments highlighted by the many quarrels in between.
1. Little Monsters

So, just a new idea I had. Thought I should experiment with writing short stories, because the last time I attempted to do so, I wrote about 20 pages. There should be about ten chapters, updated either every week or every other week, and each will have a theme from a different song. Like a musical!

Disclaimer : I don't own the song or the characters or anything really

Pairing : Ichigo/Rukia

Song used : Nothing to Remember by Neko Case

Enjoy!

* * *

_You told me something that scared me to death_

_Don't take me home I can't face that yet._

_I'm ashamed that I'm barely human._

_And I'm ashamed that I don't have a heart_

_You can break…_

* * *

She used to have nightmares where she was a monster.

They were never exactly the same – sometimes she was in her home and sometimes in the middle of a city – but they were always close. It started with her entering a crowd, all of people she knew. When she looked around she saw her brother, her captain, and the Shibas. Renji was there, and to her own heartache, so was Kaien.

She would call out, and they would all turn to look at her. Just one look. Then, almost in a panic, they would turn and run away from her.

This was where the dreams would change. Sometimes, she would end up chasing them, screaming for them to stop and tell her what was going on. Other times, she would just stay there, bewildered, unsure of what to do.

One way or another, every time, she would find herself by a mirror. Half of her would be intent on seeing herself, while the other half wanted to turn and run. Eventually, the former half won.

Slowly, painfully, she would edge in front of the reflective glass. First her arm, then her torso, then finally her whole body, but her eyes would be screwed shut painfully. She'd breathe in, then out, then in again, feeling suddenly terrified. She wanted to run, but an unknown force wrenched her eyes open.

She never cried out when she saw, but she nearly always started to cry. She was a beast, in every sense of the word. Her normally sheik black hair was now overgrown and ripped, as if she had spent the last years tearing and ripping at it in pain. Her hands are now large and clawed, dripping blood which she knew belonged to her loved ones. Her eyes were no longer the thick, colored amethyst they normally were. They were pitch, dark black, as soulless as a night with no stars and no moon. It was when she looked into her own eyes that she woke up, when she fell into a bottomless void and let out a soundless scream…

She always woke up the same, though. With a jolt and a half gasp. She never screamed, though a few times she felt the remnants of a few drying tears on her cheeks. Her shock and horror was always so quiet that no one heard, and therefore they remained a well crafted secret. While she was never able to go back to sleep after the terror, she had honed how to make herself seem well rested. Although she had never known the joys of makeup and couldn't always hide the circles beneath her eyes, she could always blame those on the constant call of hollows.

The dreams came and went in spurts. Sometimes she wouldn't have a nightmare for months, and suddenly they would show up again. They would plague her for weeks at a time, and then, just as she was beginning to become too tired to function, they would disappear. At least, for a little while.

After she had come to the world of the living, though, these dreams had changed. They were mostly the same, but so many more people were there. Chad, Uryu, Orihime, Tatsuki, even Keigo and Mizurio. There were others, of course, but these were the ones that stuck so fresh in her mind. Oh, and Ichigo. Of course.

He was always there as well, haunting her with those somber amber eyes that seemed to pierce through her skin. Yet even with that ability, he still ran away. His face still twisted in fear, and she was left with the wrenching ache in her gut that maybe she was a monster on the inside as well.

Then she scoffs silently to herself. She's always known what kind of beast she could be – cold and unrelenting. She can hear the voice of Sode no Shirayuki saying that that was what snow was, she shouldn't blame herself. Still, Rukia doesn't listen to that sort of thing, and because Sode no Shirayuki is basically a part of her own soul, she can't help but think it's an almost pathetic excuse for being this way.

"What are you griping about over there?" Snarls a voice, and she glances up from the book she's been staring at, although not really reading. It's a good book, she's sure. Orihime lent it to her happily, a story called _Frankenstein_, in honor of Halloween. While no one celebrated it, the busty woman had had to do a report on the holiday, and found herself obsessed with it. Rukia had been absorbed with it as well, when she had learned you could go door to door for free candy.

She flicks her stubborn bangs out of her eyes as she catches his fiery gaze with her placid one. "I'm not griping." She immediately snaps in return, part of her irritation over the fact that she definitely was. "Why would you think that?"

He snorts, turning away from the mass of books distributing sloppily around his table. Semester tests are coming up soon, and he's been stuck with his nose in texts for days. She finds she doesn't much envy this constant studying. From the way he's always shifting and fidgeting, whatever he's studying is probably boring as heaven.

"Because you've been sighing and I think you've been on that first page for about twenty minutes now." He states matter-of-factly, staring at her with narrowed eyes.

Her first reaction is surprise. She must have been really distracted if she hadn't noticed him glancing over at her. However, rationally of course, she subdues this surprise be giving in to irritation and anger. "I'm just thinking, that's all." She growls in return, moodily turning pointedly back to the book, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

He opens his mouth to snap back, but then simply rolls his eyes, turning back to the papers with a muttered, "moody midget."

For another ten minutes, she continues to ruminate as she stares at the page. _Frankenstein_. The story of a dead man brought back to life through electricity. She thinks it's a dumb idea. Frankenstein wasn't any different from a modern day zombie, save for the lack of lust for brains.

Finally, she becomes tired of her turn around thoughts of zombies and monsters and nightmares. The more she contemplates, the more she considers Halloween one of the worst of the holidays. It was nothing like Christmas, where people seemed in a good mood and would exchange gifts. In agitation, she creases the corner of the page and tosses it towards the foot of the bed. "I'm going to go for a walk." She announces.

He raises his eyebrows slightly, but she doesn't hesitate long enough for him to ask. He lets out a half strangled, "hey!" before she's out the door. She calls a quick goodbye to Yuzu, the only other one in the house at the moment. The sweet girl tells her to be back soon – it was already dark.

Nodding a promise, Rukia escapes into the night air. It's not warm, but not bitter either. She appreciates the lush feel of fresh air against her flesh, the brisk wind shaking the most bothersome of her thoughts away. She sets off at a calm pace. The moon is full, and the sight of it reflected on the lazy river was one she always enjoyed.

She finds herself on the banks of the familiar place, welcoming the sweet sound of water gushing relentlessly over dirt and rocks and weeds. Patches of clouds hover over the round white orb at times, but then they soon dissipate, and she's left with the silvery glow.

Her thoughts slowly absorb her, coveting her as a warm blanket wraps around the body. She imagines what a real monster would be like, and that almost makes her laugh. Hadn't she faced so many real monsters before? She almost shudders as all of their faces come to mind. The thousands of hollows she had fought, and she didn't need to mention Aizen and his horde of beasts.

So why was she always so terrified?

"So this is where you escaped to." He says, and she's only surprised because her mind had been warped as the reflection of the moon on the water. She doesn't jump, though, and she thinks that's because she was expecting him to come as well.

She turns her head to meet his gaze. In the dark, the full amber color it muted to a dark brown with a slight highlight of silver refraction, but the fire that is always in his gaze is, of course, there. She scowls at him, crossing her arms defensively across her chest. "I wasn't escaping anything." She retorts, daring him to respond.

For a moment, he doesn't. He merely glares at her, just as challenging. A few seconds later he breaks the contact to roll his eyes and let out a snort of disbelief. "Whatever." He grumbles, running a hand through his orange tresses. He doesn't bother to ask as he sits down beside her, laying back on the cool grass. "Well, will you at least tell me why you've been acting so strange?"

She almost balks at this, but chokes it down at the last second. "I have not!" She practically yelps, knowing in retrospect that this most likely wasn't the best way to convince him. He obviously thinks so too, because he raises his eyebrows at her in pure disbelief.

It's too much for her to bear, and to keep her cheeks from warming with embarrassment, she looks away suddenly, focusing on the river. "Whatever." She seethes, wrapping her arms a little tighter around her knees. "What are you doing out here, anyways? Shouldn't you still be studying?"

He shrugs slightly, looking nonchalant as he lets his gaze wander to the infinite galaxies. She knows he's never really enjoyed rivers that much. "I needed a break." He explains, smoothly and tiredly. She believes him. She's watched him be cramped up in his room for the past week, as she's been with him most of that time. Normally they can both count on the occasional hollow to interrupt the boredom, but it was as if the beasts were now attempting to be respectful of his semester end exams. Karakura had been peaceful all week.

They're silent then, both of them watching the moon, but she sees the distorted reflection, constantly flickering and changing on the surface of the moving river. They don't speak for awhile, but suddenly he says, "So does your strangeness have to do with that book Orihime gave you?"

She blanches, and has to resist hitting him over the head. "I told you I'm not acting strange!" She hisses at him, hoping her irritation will keep him from asking any more questions.

Of course, this is a long shot and a fool's hope. He backs down to her fury just as often as she backs down to his – which is just about never. He scoffs at her, now truly becoming annoyed with her fierce denial. "Oh, come on. You're strange to start off with, but even you don't just stare at a book and then go running off for no reason."

He's sitting up now, and she glares at him, secretly hating the fact that even sitting down he still towers over her. He's determined now, she sees it in the way his jaw is set and how his shoulders square. It's his hard headed stance kicking in, and she dreads when that look is directed at her.

"Even if I _was_ acting strange," she begins, fixing him with her fiercest glare, "it's none of _your_ business, now is it?" She's attempting to dismiss him quickly, although she has a feeling that this is futile.

Indeed, her feeling is correct. He glares back just as strongly, refusing to back off. "Of course it's my business." He growls in return. "We spend just about every day together, and you live in my home. If you're acting strange, I get to know why."

She practically gapes at him in disbelief. Is his logic always this flawed? Still, under his fervent gaze, she finds herself backing off slightly. With a small sigh of annoyance, she blinks back at him. "Okay, so that book was a little strange. That's all." She insists, turning away from him as a sign that she's ended this conversation.

Unfortunately, even if Ichigo could understand social cues, she doubted he'd ever care to follow them. Instead he leans forward slightly, as if trying to stay in her peripheral vision. "How would you know if it was strange?" He says. "You hardly read one page?"

The snarky remark sets off her anger again. She turns back to him with annoyance, a vein pulsing in her neck angrily. "Orihime _told_ me about it." She growls at him. "Plus there's the description on the back as well!"

"So why did a simple description make you so weird?" He says immediately, and she can feel her fingers ache with the desire to slap him.

They glare at each other for a moment, when finally Ichigo lets out a snort. For once, he's the first one to turn away, although he doesn't look up this time. "Look." He says, "I know you don't like telling people things, but I'm serious. Something has got you acting weird, and I can't focus on my studying if you're being all strange. Plus, you should be okay with telling me anything, since you have no problem snooping around in my life."

He glances at her to add a little emphasis to his last barb. Her eyes go a little wide, but his sudden insult seems to add some normalcy, and she finds herself almost smiling. "Only because you deserve it." She snorts in return, but she finds herself complying. Damn, she thinks. When did it become that he was suddenly able to make her surrender like this. Hopefully it's something she could do to him as well.

"Fine." She sighs, the closing statement now used as a beginning acquiesce. "The story was about _Frankenstein._" She glances at him to see if he knows what this is, but his face looks blank, so she explains. "You know, this doctor wants to see if he can bring people back to life so he takes this dead body and brings it back to life by using a lightning bolt."

She pauses after this for a moment. Then, however, she shakes her head and continued. "It wasn't just Frankenstein, though. It's all of the monsters."

After that, she clams up, and refuses to say anymore. How could she tell him about her nightmares? They were merely images of the subconscious, but they were intense enough that she thought if she spoke of them aloud they would reduce her to tears, and that's the last thing she wants at this moment.

He's staring at her intensely, as if trying to figure out what she means. He knows her well, and knows she's not scared of those monsters.

To her surprise though, he doesn't pry. In fact, he doesn't really say anything else. Instead he simply stands up, offering her a hand for her to rise as well. They walk home together, and find Yuzu on the couch where she's fallen asleep waiting for them. Tenderly, Ichigo picks up his sister and tucks her into her own bed as Rukia changes into her pajamas. She then proceeds to climb into his bed, and tuck herself under the covers.

When he comes in, he practically shouts in shock. He looks ready to kick her out, but then she gives him her best puppy-dog eyed pout, and he's ashamed when all he can do is let out a string of grumbles before he climbs into the bed next to her. She smiles triumphantly, although what she doesn't tell him is that her decision is an experiment, really.

* * *

The next day is Sunday, and she doesn't wake up until the early afternoon sun starts to leak in through the window. She smiles softly against the pillow when she realizes her experiment was a success. No nightmares, her sleep was deep and restful.

It takes her a moment to realize that someone is hugging her, and she blinks her amethyst eyes open wide as she realizes the position they are sleeping in. Sometime in the night, Ichigo had wrapped both arms around her waist to pull her close. In an almost instinctive reaction, she had curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt, and could feel the smooth yet scarred skin of his chest. His eyes were closed, and his face was smooth with the peace of sleep. He's still fast asleep, and she contemplates if she's lithe enough to escape his grip without waking him.

Then, just outside the door, she hears the familiar sounds of Isshin calling for his son as Yuzu loudly wonders where Rukia is. Suddenly turning pink in the face as she fights the urge to laugh, she closes her eyes and snuggles deeper under the covers, waiting for the ensuing chaos to begin.

* * *

_I owe you nothing,_

_that's what I've got for you_

_And you'll borrow nothing, _

_that's what you'd expect of me_

_So you send me your love tied up in sailor's knots_

_And I fear underneath your radiant thoughts_

_My footsteps now, _

_they will echo too loudly._

* * *

Well? Was it awesome or awful or averagely ordinary? Drop a review and let me know.


	2. Just Sitting Around

Hm, so I actually proof read this one, which is nice. The raw story had probably a million mistakes, and it's much better when you understand what's happening.

By the way, because I forgot to say so before, these stories kind of fall all over the story line. Such as the last story could have taken place after the fullbringer arc, but this one is much earlier. It's sort of random. Anyways, on with our lives.

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.

Song: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri

Enjoy!

* * *

_How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?_

_But watching you stand alone_

_All of my doubts_

_Suddenly fall away somehow_

* * *

It was actually all Yuzu's fault, but Rukia would be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying every moment of this. Beside her, she can feel Ichigo's aggravation spilling off of him in waves. She has to bite her lip to keep down the giggle when she looks at his face and sees his teeth grinding as he seethes at his current position.

Currently, his position is on the couch, squashed between the armchair and Rukia as they share the rather small sofa with Isshin and Yuzu. Karin has luxuriously taken a seat on the floor where she can conveniently stare out the window. In front of them, the TV flashes and dances as the story images flutter across it.

In truth, it was only supposed to be Yuzu and Isshin at the house tonight – perfect since Thursdays were the night their favorite shared soap opera was on. Karin was meant to have soccer practice, but it had been cancelled due to the rain, although Karin had grumbled and whined at this. Ichigo's plans to be dragged along to the new theme park had also been disrupted by the foul weather, and his sudden night indoors was solidified when Rukia had popped through the window, immediately stealing his shower and some of Yuzu's pajamas as she made herself at home.

That was when Yuzu had gotten the idea that they should spend a night together as a family, watching the soap opera, since never were all five there at the same time. Of course, Rukia was thrilled to be included in this plan, but Ichigo and Karin were (predictably) much less so. Still, after some not so gentle cajoling from Rukia and large pouty eyes – and one of the best dinners she had ever made – from Yuzu, they had succinctly been able to convince the two to join them. Of course, Ichigo had only come down the stairs when Rukia had physically kicked him down them, but she thought it all worthwhile.

In fact, it had taken a full twenty minutes for her to be able to wipe the cheeky smile off of her face. It hadn't helped that Isshin continuously congratulated his third daughter on her amazing martial arts skills and that Ichigo sent her death glares every few seconds as he held his head in pain.

Remembering this, Rukia glances at him from the corner of her eye. His headache must have been gone, as instead of rubbing his temple ruefully, he now rested his chin resentfully in his hand. She tried not to laugh as he continued to glare angrily at the wall, trying not to listen or watch or acknowledge the antics on the television screen.

Admittedly, the show itself was quite strange, and Rukia could hardly follow along. She didn't know any of the characters, and half the time most of the women seemed to be sobbing about something or another. Beside her, Isshin and Yuzu were leaned onto the edge of their seats, enamored with the storyline that was being told. Every now and then the music would become more dramatic, and the two would burst out in hysterics. At this point, Rukia wouldn't be able to hear the sound for two whole minutes and Ichigo would cover his ears, muttering about crazy fathers and awful shows. Rukia would then slap him for this, because while these soap operas were definitely strange, they were much more entertaining than the boring history channel he preferred to watch.

"It's _interesting._" He had snapped at her when she had commented on his bland taste of TV programs. "They actually have something intelligent to say. The shows my father watches maybe fit for Yuzu, but they're nothing but overdramatized fairy tales."

Indeed, the programs did remind Rukia of fairy tales, the way the characters were always impeccably dressed and incomparably beautiful. In the back of her mind, she thinks that perhaps Orihime would do well in one of these shows, though she's not sure how good the busty blonde would be at acting… not that the acting was that high level.

Still, despite the unrealistic character portrayal and mediocre plot lines, Rukia found herself drawn into the story. While she was still at a loss when new characters showed up, she began to catch onto the main plot. It was flashy and a little ridiculous, but when the show ended, she was a little bit disappointed.

To her surprise, she found her reaction to be the middle of the spectrum. On her left Yuzu and Isshin were literally in tears with the thought of having to wait a whole other week for a new episode. On her right, she found her shoulder suddenly cold as Ichigo fled up the stairs and Karin set off for her own room as well, grumbling about the stupid rain. She looked outside longingly, and Rukia almost felt bad for the girl. She knows she wants to be outside, whether rain or shine.

She stayed there for awhile, trying to catch onto more of the story by listening to them. Their hysterics, however, made this impossible, so she left them to their frenzied scheming of the story and went upstairs, trying to make sense of everything. Still too awake to snuggle into bed, she padded up to Ichigo's room, letting herself in without asking.

He's used to her doing this now, and hardly reacts when she steps in the room. He's sitting on his bed, trying hard to ignore Kon, who's doing his best to not be ignored. The little lion plushie jumps up and down angrily, pointing out that Yuzu had sewn fabric flowers into his ears and a little heart on his stomach. _Again._

"Oh, shut up, will you?" Ichigo finally snarls, grabbing Kon by the head and violently throwing him against the wall. Kon lets out a howl of anger and pain as he bounces with a squeak against the wall. Rukia stares with wide eyes as the indignant stuffed animal jumps to his feet, little bits of fluff now spilling from his nose.

He appeals to Rukia, hopping over to grasp at her leg. "Did you see that?" He cries, tears leaking from his beady black eyes as he pleads at her with his gaze. "He just threw me against the wall! Surely you, Rukia, wouldn't stand for this-"

He's cut off as Rukia shakes her leg slightly. Or, at least, slightly in her mind. Truthfully, he jolts her calf hard, and the stuffed animal is thrown into the dresser this time. Still, Rukia puts her hands on her hips as she huffs at Ichigo. "You shouldn't always treat him so mean." She rebukes him, ambling to his desk to sit down in his chair.

From the bed, he lets out a sound of disbelief. "What are you talking about? You treat him just as mean as I do!" He snaps, but she isn't really listening as she opens the drawer and begins rifling through the papers. Her quiet seems to annoy him more, and he growls, "do you mind leaving my stuff alone?"

Rukia snorts as she pulls a magazine Yuzu had lent her from the back of his drawer. "_This_ is _my_ stuff." She responds, sticking her tongue out at him in order to solidify her point. This causes Ichigo's irritation to climb as he leans towards her. "Yeah, but that's my desk!" He hisses. "Besides, you have your own room. Keep your magazines in there to read."

As he's talked she's opened the magazine to the page she left off as she's sidled to the ground. As he seethes, she eyes him in askance from her new position. "Why would I do that?" She snorts, as if his question is the most senseless in the world, and focuses back on reading. He lets out a grunt of annoyance, but doesn't question her again as he pulls out a book of his own – given it's a textbook that he has to read for tomorrow.

They fall silent for awhile, the only occasional sounds of them flipping the pages of their respective reading materials and the slight snores of Kon who's fallen asleep curled up in the corner. Eventually, though, a thought begin to bother her until she can't help but glance up from her magazine.

"Hey, Ichigo?" She speaks, sitting up slightly in order to see him better.

He doesn't respond right away, trying to finish a section before he's interrupted. "Hn?" He hums, looking up at her casually and with a slight suspicion that was so normal of him.

"What do you think it'd be like if our lives were a soap opera?" She asks, one hand on her chin as she thinks deeply.

A slight pause, then she hears Ichigo practically gag. "Awful, that's what!" He responds, voice a little bit higher from confusion and disgust, as if the simple idea makes him want to vomit. "Why would you even ask that, anyways?" He demands, eying her with a perplexed gaze.

She glances up at him, slightly amused by his reaction, but still rather caught up in her question. "I don't think it'd be that bad." She says to him, her eyebrows furrowed with concentration. "I mean, the clothes they wear are a little ridiculous, but everything's always so interesting."

Rukia isn't facing him, but if she were, she wouldn't be able to keep herself from grinning at the complete look of horror on his face. His eyes are huge as he gawps at her, mouth slightly open in surprise. "Not that bad?" He repeats, slightly incredulous. "A girl breaks her nail and the next thing you know everyone's crying at each other! It's insane!"

She glances at him from the corner of her eyes, eyebrows slightly raised at his tone. "You're being so dramatic." She points out to him, selectively ignoring it as his eyes almost pop out of his head. "Besides, you're almost exactly like the main character of that show. You know, Kenji."

At this, Ichigo slams his book shut with a force that practically jumps Kon awake. He spins on his bed, one hand clenched on his knee and the other gesturing angrily. "I'm _nothing_ like that guy! All he does is _pretend_ he's really good looking and purposely treats women like slaves then cries when they decide to leave him-"

"_Ichigo!_" Rukia snaps suddenly, cutting him off. He glares at her, as she gives him a sly smile. "I didn't know you knew so much about the soap opera."

He blanches, his cheeks turning slightly pink, although his amber gaze continues to glare. "C-come on!" He defends himself, throwing his hands up in the air. "How could I not know anything about that show, since Dad and Yuzu talk about it 24-7?"

Rukia shrugs, thinking he does have a valid point. "Still," she says, creasing the corner of the page and closing her magazine as well, "I think you're really similar to Kenji. He may cry a lot, but he's always getting into business where he doesn't necessarily belong, and he always ends up helping people."

Her voice is really thoughtful, and as she glances at him, she sees him now unsure of how to respond to the backhanded compliment. Suddenly feeling self conscious, she glances away to keep a slight blush under control. "You know, even though he's the one who's always screwing everything up." She says, covering her tracks quickly.

He responds immediately to her insult with a growl and a twitching eyebrow. "Of course, because complimenting me would just be too painful." He hisses, but his tone is more playful now. She gives him a cheeky smile, glad at how their banter is always so normal for them.

"You know," he begins, and she straightens her expression as she glances back at him, "if I have to be Kenji, then you're that annoying small girl who's always upset because she has writer's block all of the time."

Rukia flushes a dark pink, although this time her color is correlated with anger. "Hey!" She growls, mercilessly throwing the magazine at his face, although he moves just sideways so it only hits his left cheek. He lets out a small growl of pain and annoyance as a few pages thinly slice his skin and the spine of the issue clips his ear. "I'm not like her! I'm a much better drawer than writer, and even if I were a writer, I wouldn't get writer's block!" She huffs, crossing her arms across her chest.

On his bed, Ichigo picks up the magazine and throws it on his pillow to keep her ammunition away from her. "First off, you're not that good at art. Second, you – oof!"

He doesn't have time to reach his second point at she pounces on him out of anger, pressing his face against the mattress as she twists his arms behind his back. "What'd you say?" She hisses challengingly. He lets out a yelp of pain as she forcefully wrenches his shoulder, and although he's much heavier, he finds it harder than how it should be to push her off.

They struggle for a few minutes, until she runs out of steam and hops off of his back, standing angrily at the end of his bed. "First off, I'm a great artist. Second, if I were going to be any of the girl characters, I'd be Fuko, the one who is also secretly immortal!" She announces. Then, with this, she turns and marches out of his room and back into the twin's room, presumably to go to bed.

Of course, while her hasty retreat serves its purpose, she misses the look of shock, followed by a rising blush on the young man's cheeks.

Even if you beat him within an inch of his life, Ichigo would forever deny ever paying any attention to that annoying show. Still, he had kept disturbingly good tabs on it, only if because it was the only thing Yuzu or his father would be talking about for the next few days after seeing the show, and even he wasn't that good at ignoring them.

While he wasn't too familiar with the plot, he had heard them discussing the main characters, particularly the "charming" Kenji and the "Goddess-like" Fuko. He wasn't too familiar with their back stories or anything, besides the fact Fuko was supposedly cursed to live an immortal life due to her angering a spirit (God, these shows were weird), but one thing he had heard almost every week without fail was how the two characters would always come to the other's rescue.

And, as Isshin had pointed out (slightly in tears of joy), "_Any two people that fight that hard to save each other are SO in love!"_

That's it, he thinks to himself as he gruffly pushes the magazine off his bed, disguising the pink tinge on his cheeks by rubbing his eyes. No more family soap opera nights.

* * *

_I have died every day waiting for you_

_Darling don't be afraid_

_I have loved you for a thousand years_

_I'll love you for a thousand more_

* * *

Okay, so I love this song, but for the story, I felt I had to take this sort of backhanded approach. As much as I love the couple, and can never imagine them confessing they were in love like in a soap opera. So I just thought I'd make a few comparisons with them.

Thanks to the peeps who reviewed before, it's awesome to get feedback.


	3. Promises

Yeah, sorry. That took much longer than normal. Sorry, I've been busy and sick and a little obsessed with Kingdom Hearts.

However, I actually did like how this story turned out, better than the original story I had planned. I will warn you, though. If you do despise Orihime, you probably shouldn't read this chapter, because most of it is from her viewpoint.

Um, so didn't proofread this one, so apologies for any errors and the raw feel of it.

Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine.

Song: All I Want is You by Barry Louis Polisar (from the movie Juno. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it )

Enjoy!

* * *

_If you were the wood I'd be the fire_

_If you were the love I'd be the desire_

_If you were a castle I'd be a moat_

_And if you were an ocean I'd learn to float._

* * *

Eleven years, is what Orihime considers.

Eleven long years, and it's felt like centuries since she was that simple, ignorantly happy girl that she was when entering high school. At one point she used to wear little pins in her hair because she thought they were adorable. Now she wears them because, eleven years later, she still doesn't know when an injured friend of hers will show up on her front step, and she'll admit that she's too sentimental to ever throw them out.

She shouldn't say long, she thinks then. While eleven years may seem long, she can only imagine how truly short of a time it is for those who exist in eternity. Her body would beg to differ, though. She's twenty six, and still young, but she'd be lying if she said her body could carry her as well as it used to be able to.

The outside sun is bright, and a barking dog snaps her out of her reverie. She's been sitting in her knees, bent amongst various flower plants and a particularly droopy looking sunflower plant that she's been trying to nurse back to health for days. She'd spent the last week at a particularly restful vacation house just outside of the city, and she had forgotten to remind the neighbors to water her garden while she was gone. Still, the plant was beginning to come back to life. Its bright yellow petals began to open welcomingly to the sun.

"Orihime?" Comes a voice, and she's startled by the timbre. She glances up from her flowers and a brilliant smile blossoms on her face. Her heart begins to beat faster, as it always does when she sees him, and she stumbles to her feet to wrap her arms around him, and although she somewhat flings herself, he's strong enough to catch her steady.

He lets out a puff of air as she runs into him, but his arms automatically wrap around her, pulling her close to his chest. She snuggled her head against his neck, and grins against his shirt. He smells of green and sweat, and she loves it. "Welcome home." She grins into his ear and then pulls back enough to kiss him. She can't see it, but he's blushing, although he makes no attempt to move away.

They would have stood there for an eternity, holding each other underneath the beating sun, but another voice interrupts them. It's rough, much more gravelly than the other man's, but still good-natured. "Oi!" He says, coming via the kitchen. "You two want to get a room?"

The orange haired man smirks at his own joke, but his smirk is wiped from his face as a shorter, raven haired girl punches his shoulder. "Maybe you should just go." She challenges him, and he scowls down at her.

He doesn't have much time for a rebuttal though, as Uryu breaks himself from Orihime's embrace, although he keeps a firm hand around her waist. "My sentiments exactly." Who invited you anyways?" He says. His voice is completely flat, but a flicker of mirth shines in his eyes. Orihime laughs and Rukia smirks, while Ichigo's scowl deepens.

It's obvious he's about to remind Uryu whose idea this was, but Rukia interrupts him as she practically bounces towards Orihime, her expressive violet eyes wide and almost eager. "Can I feel?" She asks, her voice practically pleading.

Orihime giggles, nodding in a shy way that's unlike her. "Of course," she answers, and Rukia practically squeals in delight. She puts out two small hands and places them on her friend's protruding belly. She's no more than six months pregnant, but stomach firmly stick out beneath her dress.

Minutes pass, in a silence, and each moment causes Ichigo's irritation to grow. He's about to call for them to move on, but suddenly Rukia lets out a gasp, and he's at her shoulder. Orihime giggles as Rukia meets her gaze in excitement. "It kicked!" She exclaims, a smile of wonder on her face.

Despite himself, Uryu smiles, and Orihime giggles as she grabs Rukia by the arm and drags her back out into the garden, insisting on the raven-haired girl's help in the yard. "Uryu knows plants, but hates getting dirty." She explains when Rukia protests. "And Ichigo doesn't know the first thing about gardening, but I bet you have a green thumb!"

"Hey!" Uryu calls out after them, both insulted and worried. "Are you sure you should be out in this heat when-"

He doesn't have time to finish his sentence as Orihime waves at him from over her shoulder. "I'll be fine!" She calls, and then proceeds to ignore him. He looks uncertain, so Rukia shoots him a comforting look, and Ichigo lets out a grunt.

"Come on." He says. "We should get dinner ready, or she's going to want to cook."

This propels Uryu quickly. He didn't used to cook, but after being married to Orihime for five years, he had become quite deft at it. He knew his way around the kitchen, a trait that Ichigo certainly didn't have. Yuzu still insisted on him coming home for dinner, so he rarely cooked for himself. He didn't have much patience for it either.

As the boys went inside, Orihime continued to babble on to Rukia. While she had the cooking skills of… well… nothing in this world, it turned out she was gifted at raising plants. Rukia was certain it was because the woman was nurturing by nature.

Eleven years since she first met Ichigo. Not long considering how long she's lived in Soul Society, but then again, it's been an eternity. Maybe it's because human's lives are so short, she thinks. They have to live rushed, with no time to stop, because after a short amount of years, they're dead. It's why just eleven years in her life have been more eventful than forty.

They stay in the garden until the sun begins to sit and Uryu beckons them to dinner. While it doesn't quite compare with Yuzu's cooking, Rukia finds it delicious. The conversation, predictably, is dominated mostly by Orihime, talking happily as Rukia questions what the baby's name will be. Uryu remains quiet, but he pales at some of his wife's suggestions.

When they finish, Rukia offers (insists) to do the dishes, and volunteers (forces) Ichigo to help her. Practically dragging him kicking and screaming into the kitchen, she eventually gives him a hit on the head hard enough to paralyze a baby elephant. Of course, Ichigo's always had an unnaturally strong head, so he merely grumbles as he sets to drying the dishes she hands to him.

As angry words continue to stem from the kitchen, Uryu helps Orihime over to the couch, where she settles herself down to rest. He leaves for a moment to place the tools Orihime had used back in the shed, and she's left watching her two friends growl at each other.

She thinks, at one point, it would've broken her heart to see them like this.

Eleven years has been a long time, and a few of those had been painful. She had given that simple, orange haired boy her heart and her soul. He had rejected her so kindly and softly, letting his knuckles graze her cheek as he told her that he couldn't return her feelings. He had promised her that he would always be her friend, and to her credit, she didn't cry then. She had nodded, and shot him the fakest smile she had ever managed to muster. He asked if she was alright, but she only nodded, then bolted away from him before he could say anything else.

She had waited to get home to cry. She was selfish, and hated herself for it, but couldn't help it. She curled up on her couch and her body heaved with sobs, her tears soaking her pillow, until she was too weak for consciousness and fell asleep.

When she woke up, she was different. She withdrew into herself, and although she still went to school and eventually applied for a university, everything about her was a façade. For that reason, she began to avoid Tatsuki, as her best friend saw through her like a window. In fact, the only person she avoided more than Tatsuki was Ichigo.

For months, she only left her apartment when necessary, and spent her free time lamenting on her own. In her mind, nothing would ever be okay again. Her world was shattered.

That's what she believed, but it wasn't true. While many people would find themselves forever destroyed by the rejecting, Orihime wasn't 'most people.' In fact, she was much stronger than she would ever giver herself credit for. She picked up the pieces of her fragmented heart on her own, and began to put them together again. Slowly, she began to feel the warmth of the sun again. She could hear the sound of birds singing and people laughing. She felt herself smile, and eight months from that day, she stood outside during a thunderstorm and let the rain disguise her tears. That was the last time she cried.

The next day, she found Tatsuki, now living outside of the city. She showed up at her doorstep, holding a large pot of curry. Perhaps not the best apology gift, but she didn't know what else to give. Of course, Tatsuki had opened the door, taken one look at the strange brew, and threw it out. She then invited her best friend inside the house, and it was as if nothing happened.

A few weeks later, Orihime, by accident, met up with Chad. He invited her to the bar, and while she didn't drink, she was glad to meet up with Uryu, Ichigo, and, surprisingly, Keigo again. Mizurio had taken off to Europe for whoever knows how long.

They greeted her as they'd greet an old friend, and Ichigo embraced her with a type of relief that made her heart tremble, although it didn't break. She smiled, and allowed herself to catch up with her old friends.

At the end of the night, Uryu was the one to offer to walk her home. She accepted, and most of the walk was in silence. That is, until they reached her apartment, and with a slight blush, he admitted to her that he had missed her. Those words took her by surprise, and in consequence, they melted her heart. Smiling slightly, she kissed him on the cheek before bidding him goodnight.

They hadn't started dating immediately, but they saw each other often. He would take her out to dinner, and they'd spend long, wonderful evenings walking at the park after dark. The first time he kissed her was beneath one of the cherry trees. A flower had fallen and he tucked it behind her ear. He was glad because the darkness hid the redness of his face.

Through a back door she had stumbled into Uryu's arms, and when she had gotten there she knew she would never be able to leave, not that she'd ever want to. All of the gaps in her heart she hadn't been able to fill, he filled for her.

And now, watching her two friends in the kitchen, she couldn't look back at his rejection with any anger. In her mind, she had no doubt she could love Ichigo, and perhaps he could have loved her back, but his heart had been suddenly and rapidly taken by a new player Orihime had neglected to ever see coming. Rukia had swept into his life, bringing with it strange powers and new adventures. How could he help but be captivated by her?

Then there was Rukia, suddenly bound by the suffocating prowess of the noble family that demanded her to behave as nobles would. She tried so hard to be one of them, but it was nearly impossible. She was originally a street rat from the underbelly of the Seretei, used to fighting for her life. Her violet eyes were filled with her fiery spirit, but the rest of the world had done their best to extinguish it. They would have exceeded, as well, if that boy hadn't entered her life, if he hadn't forced her to desire her own life. He forced her to reignite the flames, and how could she not desire that?

They finish doing the dishes, and Rukia sees that the events of the day have drained Orihime. So as Uryu returns, she and Ichigo bid a farewell and Orihime waves as they go down the street, calling for them to visit soon. Ichigo throws her an uncertain glance, but Rukia grins. When they reach the end of the block, he reaches for her hand, and Orihime assumes he doesn't let go of it until they reach his home.

They're separated by almost everything that could separate them. He's a live person, breathing and aging and still (mostly) confined to living in this world. She's a vice-captain of Soul Society, bound by duty and by the laws of her land. By all accounts, they should never have became as close as they did, but Ichigo's never been one to play by the rules, and Rukia always insists on following him, in case he hurts himself.

Eleven years, Orihime considers. Eleven years, they've survived this long, and while once there was doubt, she no longer feels it. Even in sixty years, when he's sitting old and aged on a bed, she will still be there by his side. She'll wait until he's ready to enter Soul Society permanently, and she will take him there at her side.

In that eternal world, they will remain together. Even if they one day pass away, they will always remain with each other, Orihime knows. It never mattered what form or what world the other was in or where they were. No matter how far they were away from each other, they would always find each other again. It's a promise each of them made.

As they disappear from sight, Uryu wraps his arms around her waist, placing soft hands against her stomach, and pulls her against his chest. "What do you say we go to bed?" He murmurs into her ear, and she smiles as she lets him pull her into their bedroom. There, she will curl up in his hold and dream only sweet dreams, full of laughter and light, and wonder how she ever lived any other way.

* * *

_All I want is you, will you be my bride?_

_Take me by the hand and stand by my side._

_All I want is you, will you stay with me?_

_Hold me in your arms and sway me like a seed._

* * *

Finished with the third chapter!

So, it's more Orihime oriented, but even as an Ichi/Ruki shipper, I really do like Orihime. She's nice, but not as freaking useless as most nice girls in other shows, and, let's face it, she's pretty funny.

Plus, she and Uryu are my second favorite pairing in Bleach.

So sorry if you actually don't like Orihime. Then you probably didn't enjoy this chapter much. Oh, well. I'll have another chapter up soon, hopefully.


	4. The Beast in Me

Welcome back to drabble number four.

The lyrics are from the song Howl, by Florence and the Machine. This chapter is rated M, just in case you need to know.

Enjoy!

* * *

_If you could only see the beast you've made of me_

_I hold it in but now it seems you've set it running free_

_Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart_

_Drag my teeth across your chest and taste your beating heart._

* * *

Their breath is labored as it mixes with the stench of sweat and sex in the air. At one point they were writhing under the sheets, but at this point, the fabrics had been thrown carelessly off of the bed as they had gotten in the way.

He's on top of her just then, mounting her as his name leaves her lips in breathy howls. Her arms are thrown at her sides as her hands and fingers dig into the mattress underneath her. Her back arches as she takes him in, _all_ of him, and finds it's almost too much to bear. The feeling builds up inside her abdomen and migrates to her chest. It makes her heart beat faster and faster, fast, fast, fast, until it's ready to explode. The pain catches in her throat. She can't stay quiet so she lets it escape her throat in screeches and cries.

Her hips are grating against him, and he's far too gone to ever think of stopping now. A feral moan escapes him, and it's all he needs to be sent into a frenzy. Harder he pushes, and louder she gasps. She arches even more, and he hisses as the feel of her breasts pressing against his torso.

Then it comes, a feeling of euphoria, and together they stare at each other in glares of bliss. Her mouth is half open in a scream that will be left silent, and he answers her by smashing her already bruised lips with his own. It's as if he's trying to eat her, to devour her whole. And she responds not as prey, but as an equally vicious predator.

Both of their chests are heaving with gasps, and he's pulled out of her. They're not done yet, though. For months they haven't seen each other, and while at first they were gentle, at this point, rationale has been left behind. It was left behind when she turned over in his grip to see him staring at her with those fiery brown eyes.

Always, in his eyes, there was a type of fury that she admired, but now there was something else. It bordered on the line somewhere between animalistic lust and pure feral hunger. She had known it when he had began practically torn the sheets aside to reach her intimately. She had felt it when he left a trail of burning kisses from her mouth to her naval.

He was lost in his fury, but she wasn't one to back down from a challenge. In her violet gaze he had seen something harden, something turn just as instinctively possessive. She wasn't content to writhe in his arms. Instead, as he pulled out of her, she flipped them, so she was on top.

He placed firm hands on her hips, and she rolled her abdomen against his. She used one hand to support herself on the bed, and the other went lower and lower until he began to let out the same animalistic growls she had been emitting just moments before.

She's rough, but doesn't stay there long. Instead she closes the gap between them, pressing against him completely as she connects her mouth to his. One of his hands climbs up from her hips and tangles in her hair to press her even closer to him, while the other is firmly planted on the small of her back. Together, their lips stay locked until they're forced to part for gasps of air.

The separation doesn't last long, though. They've separated, but she begins rolling his hips against him, and how can he help himself against her? Every touch she leaves, every kiss she gives sends him into a frenzy. He can't stop himself, could never stop himself, and will not stop himself now.

He responds to her touch like a fire does to fuel. He's on beside her, then on top of her, then finally inside her again. She's still gyrating against him, and when she looks in his eyes, it's a look she hardly recognizes on him. Lust, possessive, furious, wild. He's driving into her, and she's pushing right back. Two forces, unable to pass each other, meet at a raging head, and the result is their ecstasy.

This time, when he pulls out, both are too tired to continue. He falls down in bed beside her, never letting her roam from her arms. They're both flushed with heat and their skin is slick with sweat. She thinks she may overheat with his arms wrapped so firm around her, crushing her to his chest, but she doesn't think she could stand how cold it would be if she attempted to move away.

So she keeps herself against him, letting her chest rise and fall in rhythm with his. The pillows are strewn about, so he situates himself on his back and she uses his shoulder as a pillow. Tucked up beneath his arm, it's easy to remember how incredibly small she is compared to him, but he'll never hold that against her. Not seriously, at least.

He glances over at a clock, and sees it's practically four in the morning. They've been in bed for over seven hours, doing anything and everything except for sleeping. She'd caught him beside, she'd been gone for months. It didn't help that she hadn't known he'd moved from his father's into an apartment all on his own. She'd gotten lost with Yuzu's directions, and had ended up just jumping over a few buildings as she followed his spiritual pressure to reach him.

He hadn't been at home, so she found a way in. She gave herself a tour of his new place, impressed with how clean he had kept it. From what she figured, most men his age didn't keep their areas so clean.

After surveying, she had made herself comfortable on his bed. She searched through his books, looking for something to entertain herself until he returned. She found almost nothing in his closet, so she rooted through his desk.

She opened one of the drawers, and as she dug beneath a few of the pages, she stopped suddenly in surprise. Under one of his school books was a pile of the magazines she used to keep in his room. Given, a large amount had been thrown out, but she was touched that he had kept any at all. With a ghost of a smile on her lips, she pulled one of the issues out and settled on his bed. She flopped on her stomach and began to reread the pages she loved. With his smell on the sheets, it was just like no time had passed.

For hours she sat there reading, but the time seemed to pass as if it were nothing. When she finished with one magazine, she moved onto the other. She was on the last of her stack when the doorknob clicked and opened. She looked up at the door, her mouth slightly open, smiling casual as he entered.

He didn't notice her at first, busy as he placed his school bag on the counter. From this distance, she saw he was wearing a uniform, as if he were just at work. There seemed to be dark circles underneath his eyes. She saw it in the way he moved. He was tired.

He ran a hand through his hair then turned back towards his bed. It took him a moment, but he then spotted Rukia, who was now finishing up the last magazine. He blinked once, then promptly jumped out of his skin.

"What the hell?" He said, voice becoming shrill with confusion. "Rukia… wh… what are you doing here?"

She rolled her eyes, shifting herself around so she was now sitting cross legged on his bed, staring at him with a look of obvious condescension. "I came to visit you. What do you think I'm doing here?" She snorted.

He growled, his brown eyes narrowing a bit as he glared at her. "I know _what_ you're doing here. But how the hell did you find this place and get in?"

He was now standing nearer to her, and she could see how much he had grown. Appraising him with her eyes, he was even taller now. He seemed to have shed the very last of his young features, and his shoulders filled out extremely broad. His features were even more defined and angular, and she spotted a new scar on his jaw, although it was extremely fine and faded.

He was towering over her, but she never backed down from a challenge. With a smirk, she placed a hand underneath her chin. "Oh, you know. Through the window." She said casually, as if it were no big deal.

She smirked up at him as he scowled down at her. "And you've made yourself at home, I see." He pointed out, and she nodded in a way that said, 'of course.'

Still, there wasn't much he could do to deny her. So he turned away from her with a grumble and began to gather a few clothes from his closet. He then proceeded into his bathroom without another word, and switched on the shower. In his room, she could hear the water hitting the tub.

Folding her arms, she pouted for a moment, but then put her magazines back in his drawer. What could she expect? He seemed tired, and when had he ever shown her a truly romantic side?

Still, they hadn't seen each other in months. She had thought that at least he could _pretend_ he was happy at seeing her.

Feeling miffed, she wandered into the kitchen. She ruffled through his pantry and his refrigerator, tongue sticking out slightly in frustration. He had practically no food.

Not wanting to stick around while he was in the shower, she stole his wallet and left, marching down to the nearest supermarket to buy something that wasn't rotting. It was a little different for her, she didn't have Yuzu's cooking skills and she wasn't that familiar with the food here. Still, she had spent enough time to know what she could at least grab as snacks.

She was only gone for about twenty minutes, but when she got back, he was out of the shower and dressed in some loose sweats and a t-shirt. He was sitting at his desk, carefully reading through a rather thick looking book. She didn't envy him.

As she entered, he threw her a careless look, and she tried again not to pout. Maybe she should have made a bigger deal of coming to visit him. Next time, maybe she could plant a few of Kisuke's joke exploding books. That'd be funny. For her.

She placed the bags on his table and began to put each item back where it belonged. She shuffled through the kitchen loudly, doing her best to annoy him as he worked. He was grumbling, and she smirked, knowing it was working.

The plastic bag ruffled loudly as she pulled the last item out of it. Behind her, she heard him sigh as he slammed the book shut. He stood and stretched, and she refused to dignify that by turning to look at him. Instead she kept herself busy by choosing a spot in the pantry for the box of bunny cookies she had bought (mostly for herself). That was why she was surprised when she suddenly felt a strong pair of arms encircle her waist.

Rukia almost dropped the box in her surprise as she felt her back firmly pressed against his muscled torso. She only came up to his waist, but she felt him leaning over slightly so he could whisper into her ear.

"If you're not going to let me get any studying done, maybe you have an idea of what we should do?"

His voice is husky and warm in her ear, and it sends tingles up her spine. At one point, she would have flushed at this, and at one point, he wouldn't have been able to say those things to her. But it was who they were now. She knew him inside and out, every part of his body and soul.

It wasn't one sided, either. He knew her, more than anyone had ever known her, and it was impossible to resist a man who gave her so much freedom.

Still, she wasn't to be outdone. She wriggled in his grasp until she was able to turn and meet him face to face. He straightened now, but he refused to relinquish his grip on her, even a tiny bit. She was trapped in his embrace, and she wasn't sure if she'd ever want to escape.

Looking up at him, she saw his dark brown gaze watching her, thick and smoldering. Just that gaze was causing her heart to warm and her spine to tingle. He's looking at her with those eyes that say he wanted to just _devour_ her, and she's not sure how long she could keep the beast inside of her contained.

"Well," she said, looking up at him through her thick eyelashes, "I think I may have had something in mind."

He grinned back at her, and wasted no time in closing the gap between their mouths. He covered her with himself, and she reacted automatically to his touch. She had missed this so terribly, and it was only here, with him, that she was able to realize without judging eyes she had completely and totally fallen for him.

They kissed each other into oblivion, and in the back of her mind she could feel him picking her up and dragging her back into the bedroom. He migrated his lips from hers to her neck. She pressed herself firmer against him, and began to tear at his clothes as he tore at hers. She wondered if her dress had been reduced to mere rags as he seemed to rip it from her body and she knew she left a few tears in his shirt.

He pushed her against the bed, and they spent the next hours together, inseparable, uncaring to the world around them. She knew it wouldn't matter much to her if the world itself was ending at this moment, all she wanted was him, and after being denied of what she wanted for so long, she was determined to get it. Besides, with the iron grip he had, she wasn't sure if she could escape even if she wanted to.

As the morning sun begins to rise, she wakes up, snuggled firmly in his grasp. She's tucked up in his side, and both his arms are securely wrapped around her, his head resting on top of hers. She breathes in deeply, tasting his scent, and desiring once again to taste his skin.

The light pours into her window, and as she looks up at him, she knows that he's made a complete beast out of her, and she's not sure if there's any way to hold it back here. Still, as he opens his eyes and stares back at her, gaze thick and smoldering, she's suddenly unsure if there's any way for either of them to be sane again.

* * *

_Now there's no holding back I'm making to attack_

_My blood is singing with your voice I want to pour it out_

_The saints can't help me now the ropes have been unbound_

_I hunt for you with bloodied feet across the hallow'd ground_

* * *

__I hope you had fun reading. I can safely say this is the only sort of smut chapter I'll be having.

Thanks for reading!


	5. Murder me Softly

Sweet, my next chapter. I love it when I update quickly. It makes me feel as if I've accomplished something.

Halfway through! Accomplishment win.

Lyrics are from Gregory and the Hawk's Boats & Birds. If you haven't heard of the band, I'd recommend it. She's really good, and her music is very sweet.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

_If you'll be my star_

_I'll be your sky_

_You can hide underneath me and come out at night_

_When I turn jet black and you turn of your light_

_I live to let you shine_

_I live to let you shine_

* * *

It's nine o'clock at night, and the TV is blaring loudly. She's home alone, curled on the couch as she snacks on some left over cookies Yuzu has made. They're sweet and chocolaty – her favorite food when in this world of the living. Back at her own home, the nobles never indulge in sweets like this.

The night is warm, since it is summer time here. The students are free thanks to break, although Ichigo never has to worry about it again. She feels bad she missed his graduation, but it isn't like he ever actually told her when it was going to be.

Yuzu and Karin are gone. Not permanently – Karin was at a soccer camp while Yuzu is spending the night at a friend's. Isshin had been called away on work business, and Ichigo? Well he was on a date with one Orihime Inoue.

It wasn't as if she hadn't been expecting this. In fact, she was the one to set the two up in the first place. She had always known of Orihime's crush, so when the girl confessed her feeling about Ichigo to the young noble, she hadn't even balked in the slightest. It had been obvious, even if the intended boy was decidedly ignorant of the fact. Still, that didn't mean it hadn't made a knife twist in her gut with jealousy.

She was jealous because Orihime was in so many ways the person she was meant to be. Happy, bubbly, friendly. She has a strange gift no other person can replicate. She is sweet, and always cares for her friends before she cares for herself. She is beautiful as well, a curvaceous figure with thick orange tresses.

As if that weren't enough, she could offer Ichigo a whole life that Rukia didn't have.

It may have been years ago, and he would call her ridiculous if he knew, but she still carried guilt for forever altering his world. At one point he had been a normal boy. He had had normal friends, and normal goals. But then she had come out of nowhere and grabbed his normalcy and mercilessly torn it into bite size pieces she had swallowed. She had turned him into a soul reaper, and when that wasn't enough, she then turned him half into a hollow.

Even after that, he had a chance of a normal life. After fighting Aizen, his powers were gone, and she thought that maybe, finally, he would become the average boy. Of course, he never would be completely normal, but the life Karakura offered would be close enough, right?

But then he was targeted, and so she gave him her power a second time, if only to make him happy. Of course it was to save him, but she knew, in the end, if he had asked her, she would have given it to him. Honestly, why did he think she never came forth to see him, even in a gigai? Because she didn't have the strength to deny him what he wanted.

So as much as it made her heart break to do so, she saw Orihime's confession as that of an opportunity. She immediately volunteered to help the busty strawberry blonde to win a date with him. She forced a meeting between the two, and Orihime nervously asked him to go to the new amusement park with her. Perhaps he never really saw it as a date, but he had amiably agreed.

Maybe, Rukia thinks as she slides farther down on the couch, that was the part that hurt the most. Maybe it was because she had half expected him to turn her down. There was no real grounds for that expectation, though. Why wouldn't he say yes? Because it might make her feel sad? Pathetic.

Even so, she can't stop herself from feeling miserable. The night is warm, and her friends invited her out as well, but she said that she couldn't, she was on duty. It was a total lie, but somehow it was more comforting instead to sit inside and watch old movies as she nibbled on cookies. For a moment she thought with amusement, is this what dumped women feel like?

She takes another bite of the baked treat and shoos the thoughts away. It's too depressing to think about, so she immerses herself with the antics on screen. She's watching an old horror flick - although she doesn't understand what is so terrifying about the badly done graphics, the targeted woman's stupidity along with the impossibility of the murdered still being alive after being stabbed several times - which makes it easy for her to forget about how lonely her day has been.

It's nine forty five, and she's practically done with the movie. The climax is here, as the woman hides in the basement, with only her nonexistent wit to defend herself. The cops are on the way, but the murderer is lurking in the shadows, knife poised…

"What are you doing?"

She hasn't really reacted throughout the whole movie, but she didn't even hear him come in. The sound of a person actually being beside her makes her choke as she jumps in her skin. She doesn't scream, really. It's more of a strangled gasp and a shudder than a scream and a jump, but it still surprises him.

He smirks as she turns to glare up at him, violet eyes wide. "You idiot!" She snaps, huffing angrily as the spell of the movie is broken. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"

He snorts, obviously amused by her reaction. "I didn't sneak up on you," he responds, "you're just jumpy. Why the hell are you watching this anyways? It's not even a good scary movie."

"Oh, be quiet." She growls, shoving the rest of the last cookie in her mouth. She had been able to lose herself in the flickering screen, but now that he was here, she couldn't ignore it any longer. Her past frustrations come bubbling up in her throat, and she is glad she could disguise it at her annoyance from him interrupting her. He plops down beside her on the couch, and she throws him a withering glance.

He doesn't say anything, merely stares now at the screen, snorting as the woman is, predictably, found by the murderer. He is either ignorant of Rukia's growing irritation, or he chooses to ignore it. She attempts to hold back her irritation as she says, "so?"

"Hm?" He snorts, glancing back at her as she tries not to punch him in the jaw. "So what?"

He's cut off as she flings a pillow at his face, glaring at him furiously. "You know what!" She exclaims while he tosses the pillow over his head irately. Normally, a pillow wouldn't hurt so much, but she threw it with fury. "How'd it go with Orihime?"

She blinks as he throws her a confused glance, as if not sure what she's implying. "Fine." He responds, turning back to the TV nonchalantly. Annoyance makes Rukia want to beat some sense into him, but she swallows it for the time being.

Then she lingers, thinking about whether or not she should press him for more. However, she thinks that perhaps it's not the brightest idea. He didn't usually open up about these types of things, and she isn't sure if she wants to hear. So she leaves him alone to continue watching the movie.

A few comfortable minutes pass between them. She always marvels at how they slip into such companionable silences. For most others, a silence is forced, something that just happens when there's nothing more to say. With him, however, it's just what's comfortable. They don't fill the space between them with useless chatter. It was home.

"Hey." He says suddenly, and she shifts to glance at him. On the couch, she's curled up into a small ball, with a blanket wrapped firmly around her body. He's obliged to spread himself across the other two cushions, as if he's had a hard day. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hm?" She drawl, eyeing him with suspicious violet orbs. "Yeah, sure."

He pauses for a moment, although he turns to glance at her. "Why'd you try so hard to set Orihime and I up?" He asks, hard amber gaze on her.

She swears, for just a moment, her heart leaps to her throat. She thinks for a moment that he can see through her, but that's just the way his eyes have always been. At least, that's what she hopes. So she schools her features and glances back at the TV. "You really are oblivious, aren't you?" She snorts, and it seems to surprise him.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" He snarls, sitting up more erect to her challenge. She almost snarls automatically, as if it's a natural reflex, turning to face him fully. While they may be at home together, nobody could make her blood boil more than him.

"It means, you idiot," she growls, and his eyebrows twitch with annoyance, "that that girl has a major crush on you, and has for a long time now!"

He stops, staring at her for a second with an expression akin to both amazement and shock. She thinks that the shock should be there, but she's not sure why he's so amazed. Maybe, she thinks with a saddened heart, that he actually likes her back, and wanted that of her…

She hears him burst into laughter, and it almost makes her jump. Of all the years she had known Ichigo, she's heard him only laugh on very rare occasions. Sure, he's smiled at times, and every now and then a slight chuckle would pass his lips, but normally his adornment was that of a scowl.

"What's so funny?" She demands, feeling as if she's being made fun of somehow. "I'm being serious, you know! She really does like you, and you-"

The sound of his laughter dying abruptly cuts her off, and she watches as he gives her a passive glance. "Yeah, I know that, you midget. I-oof!"

He curses as she throws his father's rather large textbook into his stomach. "You jerk, don't make fun of me!" She demands almost childishly. Her cheeks puff out slightly as she captures him in her violet gaze, seeming to force him to tell her the truth. "What the hell do you mean, 'you know that?'"

He snorts, recovering angrily as he glares at her. He contemplates torturing her by excusing himself to take a shower, but he thinks that she may not even allow him to shower in peace. Knowing her, she would break down the door, even if he were stark naked. Most people wouldn't guess it, but Rukia has very few qualms with nudity when she was steamed.

"Exactly what I said!" He retorts, crossing his arms angrily. "I'm not always as stupid as you make me out to be!"

She rolls her eyes in return. "I'm not going to dignify that with a response." She deadpans, and he grumbles, supposing that he set himself up for that. "And if you knew, why didn't you tell me?"

"If you knew, why didn't you tell me?" He shoots back, and her face blushes red as she splutters furiously. He forces himself not to grin, it was hard not to. She was like a bunny when she was flustered – her nose would twitch.

"B-because it was Orihime's secret to tell you, not mine!" She stammers, blushing even redder at her own obviousness. He tries not to laugh or gawk, because doing so would make her mad, but she was just so _dumb_ at times.

"And she did tell me." He snorts, causing her to deflate slightly. She stares at him with wide eyes, as if not expecting this turn of events. He can't blame her – he was surprised when she had told him as well. Of course, he wasn't completely shocked. He had been able to guess well enough after Uryu had brought it to his attention. His moment of awe had come when she had confessed, because he had never really expected her to do so.

He had never really wanted her to.

He drifted off into his thoughts, and so he jumps when Rukia snaps him back to attention. "Hey!" She growls, cuffing him over the head. "I asked, what did you say?"

The rooms falls silent for a moment, and the silence makes her nervous. Normally, their silences were comfortable, but every now and then, they were strained and tense. This was one of those moments. The hair on her arms was bristling with anticipation, and her heart is beating rapidly. She can only thank the fact her blush has long dissipated.

For a long second, he stares at her. Then suddenly, she's enveloped in his warmth as he hugs her tight- right again his chest. It isn't the first time they've been so close, she is very aware of his body and the way his muscles move. She's healed him when he's hurt, and he's picked her up when she's fallen. However she isn't used to this type of proximity, where he holds her just because he can and she breathes in the musky smell of his scent without worrying about if he's bleeding to death.

It's… nice.

No, not just nice. It's wonderful. She feels as if fitting into his arms was something she was made for. He lays his cheek on the top of her head, and she can feel him smiling as he chuckles. "What do you think I told her?" he mumbles, and she smirks. This idiot will never change.

Then again, at least he's her idiot, and no one else's.

* * *

_But you can sky rocket away from me._

_And never come back if you find another galaxy_

_Far from here_

_With more room to fly._

_Just leave me your stardust to remember you by._

* * *

Okay, before anyone gets mad at me for sort of leaving Orihime hanging, I do not hate her. I actually find her very likeable, even if she can get annoying. I think she's an awesome character, but I also don't think she's very right for Ichigo. Maybe if Rukia weren't in the picture, but since she is... yeah. But don't feel bad, she gets Uryu in the end! Honestly, I think they are so freaking adorable together :'D

Anyways, not a lot of romance, I guess? It's sort of like the beginning of their relationship, so yeah.

Next chapter should be up soon.


	6. Danger Games

Well, that was a long wait. I apologize for such a long delay, when I was previously doing so good at updating. I guess inspiration doesn't like to come to me like most people. It likes to hit me upside the head for a good while, and then take a leave of absence.

Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. I think I had some of my most fun writing it.

Once again, like always, I was lazy and didn't reread it, so sorry for mistakes.

Lyrics are from Florence and the Machine's song, Drumming Song. If you notice I use a lot of her music, it's because she's a musical goddess.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

_There's a drumming noise inside my head that starts when you're around_

_Swear that you should hear it, it makes such an almighty sound._

_There's a drumming noise inside my head that throws me to the ground_

_Swear that you should hear it, it makes such an almighty sound._

* * *

This was worse than suicide. She's sure of it as both Rangiku and Orihime lean closer towards her face, eyes wide with expectation.

She pales a little more. She can't help it. It had been hard enough in the first place to convince her to come to a _"Girl's only slumber party!"_ as Orihime had ecstatically put it. Rukia was hesitant, at best. She still had rather… dodgy memories of the last party she attended with Rangiku.

(One that had included the buxom woman getting a little too intoxicated and trying to make a pass at Rukia.)

It was really one of the most awkward moments of her life. It didn't help that, instead of helping, Renji was stopped in his tracks staring at them. As if he actually _expected_ the noble Kuchiki girl to go along with the drunk strawberry blond. Instead, she had dragged her back to her room, and then remembered to deliver a painful blow to Renji's abdomen the next morning.

Granted, Orihime wasn't actually there, and she didn't think (hopefully!) that Rangiku planned on getting them all drunk.

Rukia shuddered at the thought.

But Rangiku was a wicked woman, and Orihime was too playfully curious to try and defend her friend. She was just as anxious as Rangiku was.

Really, she had only accepted the offer when Orihime had widened her eyes hopefully and stuck out her lips in a dreadful pout. Rukia could refuse Rangiku at her most pleading, but Orihime was a different matter. She had the aura of a kicked puppy that was impossible to ignore.

Honestly, what she had most dreaded was being forced to eat Orihime's cooking. That, and the off-chance that Rangiku might try to compare breasts or get everyone to take a bath together, as she was prone to doing. She had never imagined a game could be so painful.

"_It's simple, Rukia!" _Orihime told her excitedly. _"It's just truth or dare. When it's my turn, I'll ask you or Rangiku 'truth or dare?', and you will say truth or dare. If you say truth, you have to answer whatever question I ask you. If you say dare, then you have to do whatever I tell you to do."_

"_Sounds fun!"_ Rangiku exclaimed. Rukia wasn't so sure, but it was just a game, and it beat trying to make an excuse to not try Orihime's chocolate hot-sauce curry ice-cream.

It was just too painful to bear.

So she agreed. The first few turns weren't bad. The truths and dares were benign, up until the point Rangiku got a mean look in her eye.

Nervously, Rukia requested a truth from her, not wanting to have to deal with any dares. In response, Rangiku put on her most innocent grin, and said, _"If you had to sleep with Ichigo or Renji, which one would it be?"_

Ouch.

Unable to do much but gawp beneath the stares of the girls, she fumbles in her mind for an answer. What could one _say_ to the comment? For moments she was in shock, unable to do much but squirm. Rangiku grins at her, fully aware of her discomfort.

"Come on, Kuchiki, you've got to answer the question." She says in a teasing manner. "Don't think about it too hard. Just say whoever comes to mind first."

Almost instinctively, a flash of orange blinds her eyes for a second. She blinks rapidly, clearing it away, and forcing a blush from her cheeks. Both girls see it though, and Orihime squeals as Rangiku grins.

"You do know who it is, don't you?" Rangiku accuses gleefully. "Come on, spill it! Which one?"

"I... uh… I…" She stammers, knowing that her face is probably beet red at the moment. "I mean that… I have to go to the bathroom!" She exclaims loudly. Before Rangiku can tackle her to the ground or Orihime can plead with her, she's up on her feet, in the bathroom, and escaped out the window. She swears in the background she can hear Rangiku yelling at how she won't get away that easily, but she's gone almost too quickly to hear.

At one point, Rukia would have been no match for Rangiku's speed. Now with abilities enough to match other lieutenants, and the fact that they were both in gigais, meant that she could flee rather easily from both women. Out of the window she shoots, landing gracefully on the ground, and takes off with a speed that would make Olympic sprinters marvel.

She runs around for blocks, glad that the gigai naturally suppresses her powers, along with the limiter. This, along with her own effort to disguise her presence, makes her impossible to locate. With a breath of relief, she halts just outside of the park near Ichigo's neighborhood. She rarely runs so fast in a gigai, and the feeling of being ragged and out of breath is new as well as exhilarating.

Smoothing down her mussed hair, she glances around herself. She doesn't dare go back to Ichigo's house, knowing that would be the place Rangiku and Orihime would look, if they bothered to chase her. Normally, Rangiku is pretty easy, but she can be decidedly dogged when it comes to getting the latest gossip.

Another blush raises to Rukia's cheeks as she recalls Rangiku's truth. It's just cruel, she decides with an embarrassed scowl. _As if_ she wanted to sleep with either of her friends. Both of them were always there for her, sometimes being more protective than she cared for. They had the same hot headed attitude she found both irritating and freeing. And they were both dumb as rocks, as well as having ridiculous spiky hair and hair colors.

She lets out a frustrated sigh, kicking at a rock in her path. They're both strangely similar, now that she thinks about it.

Starting to walk idly down the path, she thinks that they aren't _exactly _the same. While with Ichigo they could hardly have a moment when they weren't yelling insults at each other, her companionship with Renji was much calmer. They could have quiet, normal conversations without her ending up rubbing her hands together to refrain from throwing things at his head.

Yet, when she considers it, she doesn't think Renji knows her as well as Ichigo does.

That thought startles her. It came so quick and naturally, she knows it to be true, but it's still surprising. She grew up with Renji, he was her best friend from the moment they met on those dirty streets as struggling children. Even if they grew apart for years, they had made up.

But then, she supposes, they had both changed a lot during that time.

She had met Ichigo when she was just emerging from her the clouded haze that stalked her after Kaien's death. Whether she liked it or not, that event had changed her dramatically. Ichigo never knew her before she had become a Soul Reaper. He only knew this side of her, while Renji still associated her with his childhood friend.

Guiltily, she thinks that she does the same for him. Perhaps she hasn't tried hard enough to see what Renji is like now. She's not even sure how different he is. He still carries himself arrogantly and powerfully. He goes into every battle expecting to win, but not foolish enough to underestimate his opponents.

But he is different, she realizes sadly. There is a hidden bitterness inside of him, like he can never shake off his seedy roots. She sees it in the way he trains himself, pushing himself so hard his bones nearly crack. While he'll always smile her concerns away, she knows he views himself as weak, as a failure.

With a jolt in her heart, she wishes she could change that.

But she doesn't think she can. She doesn't know him now, only the way he used to be. Her friendship with him was so unlike hers with Ichigo, where she practically knew what he was thinking by glancing at him. She had his expressions memorized and catalogued into little spaces into her brain. Sad Ichigo, happy Ichigo, defeated Ichigo, annoyed Ichigo. She knew all those emotions.

With a grimace, she wonders if he knows the same things about her. She doubts it, he seemed a little too dense to pick up on things like that.

Raising her eyes up to the moon, she decides her thoughts are too depressing and confusing for her to continue. With much lag, she makes her way back to the Kurosaki house. As quietly as she can, she slips inside, making practically no noise while she fishes her pajamas out of her shared drawer with Yuzu.

She goes down to the bathroom to brush her teeth, and is shocked to find the light in Ichigo's room on. She had assumed he was asleep, he _has_ been very busy with school. She also didn't think anyone would hear her come in.

Wrong. He stumbles half blind out of his room, rubbing sleep from his eyes. _He must have just woke up_, she thinks. She rarely sees him like this, bleary eyed and unfocused. He's dressed in simple pajamas, and he looks to be drooping from the weight of a recent dream. His hair is even spikier than normal, and when he glances at her with confused amber eyes, her breath catches in her throat.

He's handsome, she decides at that moment with the quick thought similar to before. It happens so quick, she once again knows it's true. This, though, is an idea she cannot stand, and she tries to shove it far away. Before she can, though, the memory of Rangiku's question floods her mind, and she can't help her face heating again.

Luckily, she's still standing in shadow, and Ichigo is still too far asleep to notice her reddened face. "What are you doing back?" He grumbles. Even when groggy, his voice still carries that insolent note. It would irritate her, if the hoarseness from sleep didn't make his voice so… smooth.

Rukia gulps, forcibly heaving all thoughts from her mind as she tries to tell him the truth. "Rangiku got a little… adventurous at the party, so I decided to leave."

Ichigo blinks at that, and she's glad he doesn't have the same look as Renji, or she'd have to hit him over the head, and then there was a chance the family would wake. Besides, her words are pretty close to truth, and Ichigo evidently believes her. "Okay." He sighs. "I'll see you in the morning, then."

"Yeah." Rukia replies. "Goodnight."

He gives her a half asleep smile, and she finds herself once again fighting to breathe. By now, this is becoming a nuisance to her, so she slips past him to the bathroom to shut herself inside, only partially hearing his ragged, "'night."

In the safety of the bathroom, she scrubs her teeth and dresses in her soft pajamas. She swears she hears drums beating loudly next to her, before realizing it's her own heart pounding. She wonders why it doesn't wake everyone else, the sound is so amazing.

She waits for her heart to calm before creeping silently back into the twin's rooms. She sidles beneath the sheets, and immediately covers her head with the blanket. Truthfully, she is rather tired, and she drifts off to sleep.

That night, she dreams of orange drums. When she wakes up, she can't make hide nor hair of it, and is about to dress herself when Yuzu comes in through the door.

The girl is dressed already, with a cooking ladle in hand. Her face looks confused as she says, "Hey, Rukia, Rangiku is here to see you. She says she has an important question that you need to answer."

Rukia blinks at Yuzu once, then twice. And then she's out of the window faster than she was last night.

Behind her, Yuzu calls for her to wait, but she's already gone.

* * *

Downstairs, Ichigo stares in annoyance at Rangiku as she smiles back. It's a sneaky sort of smile – one he knows and, from experience, doesn't like. "So," he begins casually, "what exactly did you want to ask Rukia?"

A mischievous grin curls at Rangiku's lips as she leans towards him. "Oh, it's by far the most interesting question you've ever wondered about." She says enticingly, while Ichigo stares at her suspiciously.

"Ichigo! I went to get Rukia, and she just jumped out the wi – Ichigo?" Yuzu halts in the kitchen, eyes wide with concern and confusion.

By the table, Ichigo is standing stock still, his eyes huge and a blush reaching to his ear tips while he stares uncomprehendingly at Rangiku. The buxom girl grins back, tossing her hair as she looks at Yuzu.

"How cute! They had the same reaction!" She laughs joyfully. "Well, it seems I have the answer to my question after all! See you later, Ichigo, Yuzu!" She calls, leaving as quickly as she came.

Yuzu waves a half-hearted goodbye, then turns to her brother. She pokes him experimentally, but he doesn't even look at her. Deciding it's best for him to recover on his own, she cautiously returns to making breakfast.

It isn't until ten minutes later that the boy comes back to sputtering life, yelling something about crazy women and insane questions. He then stops clean in his tracks, staring back at the door.

"What the hell? Answer to her question? Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" He screams lividly, suddenly flying out the door to hunt down Rangiku.

Yuzu stares after him forlornly, buttering the toast on her plate. "I guess I'll never understand them." She sighs wistfully, continuing to make breakfast as usual.

Besides, they'll be back eventually, she knows. They always do.

* * *

_As I move my feet towards your body_

_I can feel this beat_

_It fills my head up and gets louder, and louder._

_Fills my head up and gets louder, and louder._

* * *

Hm. Sort of a bad ending, but I think you can also guess the answer to her question, right?

For some reason, I always imagine Rangiku to be one who loves putting others in awkward situation. I also imagine that she likes to gossip, so why not kill two birds with one stone? Perhaps she was a bit OOC, but I don't care. I had a freaking blast writing her. Also, perhaps it's just me, but I always imagine Rukia to get really uncomfortable in those situations. That's my depiction of what she would do, so sorry if it's OOC to other people.

Next chapter should be up soon. Hopefully no more half a year delays?


End file.
